No, I'm not saying he glorified weakness. I was saying that your example of Bill Gates was a glorification of weakness. Isn't that why you chose him? Because he's intellectually and financially successful and not big or strong?

Of course that's why I chose him. It's the Bill Gates of the world who are ultimately successful, not the strong but stupid type... and that has always been the case.

Of course that's why I chose him. It's the Bill Gates of the world who are ultimately successful, not the strong but stupid type... and that has always been the case.

True, they may be more successful, but they won't likely be able to save your life. And, yes, there are times that you need your life saved or to save someone else, even if you live a very blasť life. For example, Knifegill and I were out looking at property to build our house on, and one of the properties was at the top of a very steep hill. In some places this hill was sheer like a cliff, though still covered with trees and ferns. At one point, Knifegill pulled ascended the hill by grabbing a tree and hoisting himself up. While holding onto the tree with one arm, he pulled me up with the other arm. In effect, he curled 130 pounds of me up a cliff. Now, I admit I should have been strong enough to hoist myself up the tree, but I wasn’t, and it was Knifegill’s strength that got us out of that pickle.

Strength allows you to save people, to do things that you otherwise would not have been able to do. If we were not able to climb up that hill (our real estate agent couldn’t—he was overweight and out of shape), we would not have been able to get a look at that property. Strength, just as riches and brains, has its advantages. If you can have all three, why not? If you can only chose one or two, then you have to decide your priorities and what is most advantageous to you. But, strength, nevertheless, has its advantages.

But would Bill Gates be the same man and have been as successful if he had spent his spare time at the gym working out rather than writing code? I honestly don't think so. He's a nerd and he got where he is today by being a nerd. That's all I'm saying. The expectation that all men should lift weights to be successful in life is just not true.

Having a great strength-to-weight ratio is good for things that involve you doing things to your own body. This relative strength, however, won't help you carry a 250lb man out of a burning building if you can't carry a 250lb man. A 90lb box won't become lighter. Those lug nuts stuck on your car's wheel won't unscrew themselves.

Absolute strength matters. If I'm hurt and need someone to carry me, I'll take the 250lb guy that can deadlift 400lb, rather than the 140lb guy that can deadlift 280lb, even though he is a lot stronger for his weight. My body won't scale itself down to his body.

What about our brains? Tough lug nuts are no match for me when I have leverage on my side. Maybe the real goal here is for us all to be as light as possible. That way it will be easy to carry each other to safety, you know, because we won't weigh as much.

What about our brains? Tough lug nuts are no match for me when I have leverage on my side. Maybe the real goal here is for us all to be as light as possible. That way it will be easy to carry each other to safety, you know, because we won't weigh as much.

I'd recommend brain usage as well. Brains + brawn is an excellent combination, and rare in modern society.

You can hope for others to be light. I train in case they are not. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst type of thing.

Quite rare in fact, which is why ultimately brains wins out over brawn.

Not sure why you are defining this as an either or situation. You can have both, so why not. You can be successful, smart, goal oriented and a visionary, why not choose to be a strong and fit one? Many men and women have.